Cognitive Development in Early Childhood (Jennifer Stevens)

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What is Cognitive Development in Early Childhood? 


Early childhood is the period of a child’s development from birth to 8 years of age. Cognitive development in early childhood begins the moment a child is born. Cognitive development is the development of the ability to think and reason.  It involves the development of children's reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making, understanding,  memory skills and brain development as they explore and make sense of the world around them.  

Cognitive development refers to a set of learning abilities that researchers consider to be "typical" for children in early childhood age range, birth to 8 years of age.  In other words, it's how much a child should be able to do or understand by a certain age.

Examples of Cognitive Skills


Milestones

Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age.  Such as how they speak, learn, move, and play.  All children develop at their own pace, however, milestones give you a general idea of what you can expect as your child grows.  Cognitive development is crucial to a child's growth.  It gives us a picture of how a child's brain develops.  Understanding cognitive development milestones will help you promote healthy development in your child as well as provide support when a child needs extra support.









Theoretical Background


Jean Piaget was a Swiss theoretician.  He saw cognitive development as the product of children’s efforts to understand the world around them.  Piaget believed cognitive development begins with an inborn ability to adapt to the environment.  Much of what we know about how children think is because of his comprehensive theory of cognitive development.  He describes four specific stages in cognitive development in children; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, and formal.


Piaget insisted that:

  • Cognitive development always follows this sequence.
  • Stages cannot be skipped.
  • Each stage is marked by new intellectual abilities and a more complex understanding of the world.


The four stages of growth:

  1. Sensorimotor Stage: The first stage in cognitive development (age birth-2),  during which infants learn through sensory and motor activity.
  2. Preoperational Stage: The second stage in cognitive development (age 2–7), children become more sophisticated in their use of symbolic thought but are not able to use logic yet. 
  3.  Concrete Operational Stage: The third stage in cognitive development (age 7–11), children develop logical but not abstract thinking.
  4.  Formal Operations Stage: The final stage in cognitive development ( age 11–adulthood) characterized by the ability to think abstractly.

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development


Promoting  Healthy Cognitive Development

  All the developmental domains are significant and connected.  Cognitive development is strengthened when children are healthy, emotionally safe and stable and socially connected.  There are various factors that contribute to healthy cognitive development.  Adults can help healthy brain  development by providing a clean environment and promoting healthy habits as well as providing stable emotional support.

Activities that enrich cognitive development in early childhood
    • Ask open-ended questions often. 
    • Play make-believe. 
    • Visit museums or science centers with your family. 
    • Read to your child daily. 
    • Let children solve problems independently.
    • Teach children board games that require strategy.
    • Sing with your child.







SOURCES:

Encouraging Cognitive Development for Infants & Toddlers | Montessori at home | Góc Montessori. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/6r7P36LGGJY. 

The importance of cognitive development. YouTube. (2017, April 24). https://youtu.be/0gaxu3CZSOY 

Kendra Cherry, Mse. (2024, May 1). What is Piaget’s theory of cognitive development? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-development-2795457 

McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2023). Child Development and Education (8th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://reader.yuzu.com/books/9780138057107 

Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2002a). A child’s world infancy through adolescence. McGraw-Hill. 

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